​An investigative story by Meg (Maria Eugenia Guerra) of LareDOS Newspaper, “Will the City Enforce Ordinances and Fines for Monaco II Developer’s Environmental Encroachment on Shiloh Trials,” delves into the story of how a local developer bulldozed through a section of the Shiloh Hike & Bike Trials. The clearing cut through two streambeds of Manadas Creek for a new subdivision that calls for building a large quantity of homes to be immediately next to this unique and rare green space.The developer had permission to clear out a 15-foot easement for their water line. Instead, they took out between 40-50 feet of land, nearly a football field in length, with no permission and no permits to do so.To read more about this issue please click on the link below.Linkhttp://www.laredosnews.com/2018/03/05/will-the-city-enforce-ordinances-and-fines-for-monaco-ii-developers-environmental-encroachment-on-shiloh-trails/

The 6th annual “Birds of the Brush” Art Contest is a lively special event that we do as part of our Laredo Birding Festival. This year, we received a record number of submissions, at 431.As part of this collaboration with RGISC, the Laredo Center for the Arts and Monte Mucho Audubon Society, local students, amateurs, and professional artists submit artwork of birds found in our region. Art pieces are then judged by well-known artists and bird experts. Our panel of judges this year were: Armando Hinojosa, Raul Delgado, Gayle Aker-Rodriguez, and Frank Ortega.For the first time in Birds of the Brush history, one art entry came from our sister-city, Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico.The art contest is separated into 5 categories: Elementary, Middle School, High School, Community-Amateur, and Community-Professional. Judges select a Best in Show winner, and each category has 1st, 2nd, 3rd place finalists, and two Honorable Mention winners.We wish to commend all participants, and their teachers. Our judges and Laredo Center for the Arts staff noted that the quality of art work submitted this year was significantly superior than previous contests.On Feb. 7, we opened the Art Exhibit and a much anticipated Awards Ceremony took place in which all winners, and all participating teachers and studios were recognized.​6th Annual Laredo Birds of the Brush Art Contest Winners

​THANK YOU!The Mayor and Laredo City Council have formally withdrawn their vote and motion to build the proposed veterans museum at North Central Park. RGISC would like to thank Friends of North Central Park and the interested group of veterans who diligently worked together with us on this effort. We also wish to thank Our Laredo for hosting a Vets Museum Forum on Jan. 9 which proved to be a game-changer in the development of this issue.This is a terrific victory for the community and for our green spaces. RGISC is currently working with the City of Laredo to draft language that will serve to protect our parks and green spaces from future initiatives and development.As a goodwill gesture, RGISC has committed to making a financial contribution to the Veterans Museum once the site is finalized and an operating fund is in place.

​The Friends of North Central Park and Rio Grande International Study Center wish to thank the veterans of Laredo who formally withdrew their plan to build a museum at North Central Park.Thank you to the 16 panelists and veteran leaders who participated in tonight’s Veterans Museum Forum.We especially thank Mr. Guero Segovia for his leadership, and for choosing to side with the community to protect our treasured green spaces.We look forward to working with the veterans to make their museum a reality.We thank Our Laredo for running such a top notch and well-run program, and moderators Dr John Kilburn and Louis LaVaude.We also commend our local veterans for coming together as 1 tonight. We look forward to seeing more of that unity in the future.We love and respect you, and honor your service and commitment to our country. Thank you.